Josh Pozzi

Josh Pozzi, based in Bristol, released the single “Get to Know Me” on September 4th, a song showcasing the internal battle of what happens when you keep climbing to survive, almost like rungs of an endless ladder, as we see in the cool digital cover art design by Duru Ekin. As a result of such personal challenges, that sometimes causes people to cut off contact with those who loved them out of fear of messing it up. You could interpret the cover art below also as one trying to hold on tight through quite dark and confusing times. It’s awesome to still see human touches and authenticity at the forefront in both the cover artwork, music production, video work, etc., in a world now encompassed by AI.

I tend to share how I connect to songs reviewed, and I typically have gone through the opposite, more so growing up, where people who once cared for you suddenly pretend you’re invisible, or those who you deeply loved suddenly cut off contact with you, or didn’t take the time to get to know you, and how difficult it is to get to know someone who keeps putting up walls, joining a clique to fit in, or exhibiting avoidance when you show nothing but kindness and affection back. It’s tough to see others go through difficult obstacles, and it hurts when someone we love has gone through a number of turmoil-like events to the point where they no longer recognize themselves in the mirror or question their life choices. Who are you now? Where are you going? Some chaotic events in life prompt us to do an in-depth reflection on our own identity and where we stand and want to go.

It is, of course, challenging to be vulnerable in a relationship or to open yourself up for the first time, or even again once someone or something has hurt you immensely, but ultimately people need time and space to process heavy events such as grief and trauma and to focus on their own goals and growth. You cannot rush people when they are going through a slew of ordeals; we all process emotions differently, and music, akin to poems, I believe, is a great confessional outlet to express ourselves or to communicate how you feel or felt at some point in time in an incredibly raw manner.

Going back to Duru Ekin’s cover art—coincidentally, I was just rewatching Fall (2022) actually, so I was thinking about the memorable ladder scene at the TV tower too, and I love how that film says: “Life is fleeting. Life is short, too short. So you gotta use every moment…” Going up and down a ladder, metaphorically speaking, can be quite exhausting and take a toll on anyone; the world itself can feel at times like a complex, twisting, and turning rat race or mind-bending maze of ladders akin to the film Cube 2: Hypercube (2002). Many of Josh’s songs exhibit the impact of loss and sorrow connected to relationships in life or things that a lot of us go through ourselves in everyday society.

Josh Pozzi’s music is always honest, and you may remember from our Q&A reshares “Bruised (ft. Kate Buck)” from 2024, which is absolutely my fave collaborative song of his and release, aside from the 2020 single “In My Mind (Radio Edit).”

I’d also highly recommend checking out “Waiting for You” by Josh Pozzi too, which is a song packed with emotion tied to how hard it is to say goodbye to a loved one, especially to a parent. Online you’ll see that it was actually “released on his late father’s birthday, raised funds for Macmillan Cancer Support, earned BBC Radio Wales play from Adam Walton, and amassed 21,500 YouTube views organically.” My dad was diagnosed with cancer just a few years ago, and a few other relatives had also faced cancer battles in the past, so I can relate to this song more so than “Get to Know Me.” So do watch the lyric video when you get a chance for that song too.

The song “Bruised” and the Hostage EP, to me, are what I’ve had on repeat more so than “Get to Know Me.” Keep in mind also that “Get to Know Me” was initially drafted a few years ago, I believe, and I like how the grunge and alt-R&B song churns out a raw, faster-paced tone, starting at 1:53.

Listening to this song made me think also of “The Last Of The Real Ones (Remix) (ft. MadeinTYO & bülow),” and how some human beings go all out for those they truly love or have feelings for. Another song I once heard was “Identity Crisis” by Emily Weisband, and I thought about that one as well—identity is a rather complex subject—sometimes people realize who they truly are at a much different time in their life—it doesn’t matter if you’re in your 20s, 30s, or even 50s, etc.; everyone's journey is different.

I absolutely love 2:48, where we hear the isolated guitar trill sound; I had wished for more of that at the start or across the song a tad. I do like songs that incorporate rap. If you love groups like NiNE8 as I do, or London-based rap artists, then you’ll probably enjoy the bit, especially at 0:56.

Josh has more music on the way, and it’s great to hear older written songs being shared, polished up, and released. Please do check out more of his music and don’t forget to watch the visual of the entire Hostage EP mentioned above—I love seeing artists create visuals, lyrics, and short films to accompany their music releases—it adds another layer of depth to the work and brings it to life a bit further, like a movie in a theatre.

Memorable Lyrics:

Cuz you don’t know her

But she love’s me

Cuz you don’t owe her

But she owes me

Everyones afraid of the way you changed me

RATING: 3.8 OUT OF 5

Remember to add “Get to Know Me” to your playlist(s) and take a look at Josh Pozzi's music out on these channels or your preferred streaming platform, find them @josh_pozzi on Instagram and elsewhere.